Flora Obscura: The Botanical Alchemy of Alison Kelly
What if the most extraordinary colours weren't mixed in a studio, but were already waiting in a rose petal, a hibiscus bloom, or a handful of plum leaves, for someone patient enough to ask?
That question sits at the heart of Alison Kelly's practice. A textile artist, author, and founder of Flora Obscura, Kelly has spent over a decade perfecting the art of botanical printing: arranging fresh leaves and flowers across prepared cloth, bundling the fabric tightly, and steaming it until the plants surrender their pigments directly into the fibre. The results are as unpredictable as they are beautiful — a cherry-red hibiscus printing deep royal blue, dried rose petals yielding a delicate blush pink, plum leaves producing aqua and teal despite their purple foliage.
Bundle dyed fabric by ALison Kelly. Photo: Kristin Tieg
Her path here is as layered as the prints themselves: fine art, weaving, and silversmithing in San Miguel de Allende; the ancient alchemy of natural dyeing discovered in Oaxaca; fashion school in Florence; a season on Project Runway. Yet through all of it, she found herself drawn back, always, to the bright intelligence of plants.
Her newly released book, Printing from the Garden (above), documents 30 distinct plants and their effects on fibre. See it as a field guide to a world most of us walk past without truly seeing.
We are delighted to share a Five Minutes with a Friend interview with Alison, and an extract from the book on Bundle Dyeing, giving you everything you need to try it for yourself. Consider it an invitation to look a little more closely at what's growing just outside your door.
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Five Minutes with a Friend: Alison Kelly, Founder of Flora Obscura
Portrait of Alison Kelly. Photo: Kristin Tieg
Alison, what is your earliest memory of a textile?
As a child, I was surrounded by hand-sewn treasures created by my mother and relatives: patchwork quilts, quilted jackets, and calico dresses with matching miniatures made for my dolls. Textiles were woven deeply into the fabric of my childhood, and through them I developed an appreciation for custom clothing and handmade artistry at a very young age.
How would you describe what draws you to textiles and the world of making?
I’ve always been drawn to textiles because they hold memory, history, and touch all at once. My background in fashion design gave me an early appreciation for silhouette, craftsmanship, and the emotional connection people have with clothing, but over time I became more interested in the material itself — the cloth, the dye, the surface, and the process of creating textiles by hand.
What especially draws me to botanical dyeing is the ability to create textiles that carry the imprint and story of the natural world through plant pigments. I’m interested in how colour, texture, and organic forms can transform fabric into something deeply personal, tactile, and one of a kind. Botanical dyeing allows me to collaborate with nature rather than control it completely, and I love that each piece becomes a record of a moment in time — preserving the delicate imprint of a leaf, a season, or a place.
Alison Kelly foraging for natural dye plants.
Where do you feel most inspired to work?
I’m a native of Cape Cod, and the summer months there offer such a bounty of vegetation and long, glorious days. I spend my summers there and feel most inspired when I’m out foraging for wild staghorn sumac leaves, Queen Anne’s lace, or rosa rugosa leaves to print with. Much of my work begins outdoors — observing the landscape, gathering plant material, tending to my natural dye garden and noticing the subtle shifts in colour and season.
That being said, you could place me almost anywhere with a mild climate and abundant vegetation, and it wouldn’t take long before I’d begin experimenting with the local flora. I’m endlessly inspired by the relationship between plants, place, and textile, and I love discovering how different environments leave their own unique imprint on cloth.
Botanically printed textiles by Alison Kelly
What has sparked your imagination or inspired you recently?
Lately, I’ve been feeling especially inspired by revisiting some older work I created with botanically printed vintage linens. While I primarily work with silk — I love the way the tightly woven protein fibre so beautifully accepts plant dyes — returning to linen has sparked a new sense of possibility for me.
I’m drawn to the idea of giving old textiles a second life through botanical printing and natural dye. There’s something meaningful about working with materials that already carry a history and transforming them into something new, whether that becomes a wearable garment, a tapestry, or a functional decor piece. I’m increasingly interested in how textile art can preserve both the story of the cloth itself and the imprint of the plants used to create it.
What is your most treasured textile, and what story does it carry?
My most treasured textile would have to be the panel of fabric featured on the cover of my book, Printing from the Garden. Made from a silk/hemp blend, it perfectly encapsulates my love for Cape Cod and the flora that inspire so much of my work. The piece features some of my favourite plants to print with: giant hibiscus flowers, staghorn sumac leaves, coreopsis, dahlias, and cosmos.
What makes it especially meaningful to me is that it feels deeply connected to place, memory, and season. Each botanical imprint reminds me of summers spent gathering plants and working slowly with the landscape around me. The panel now hangs on my bedroom wall, and every time I look at it, it brings me a sense of serenity.
Botanically printed dress by Alison Kelly
Where did you first learn your craft, and who shaped your early approach to making?
I first studied fashion design and weaving in college, where I developed a strong foundation in textile construction, surface design, and an appreciation for handmade cloth. During that time, I was introduced to natural dyes on a trip to Oaxaca, which planted the seed for what would later become a central part of my practice. Although I explored many different avenues after school, I eventually circled back to working with natural dyes in a much deeper and more personal way.
My introduction to printing directly with plants came years later through Wild Colour by India Flint– the originator of the “eco-print”. Discovering the process of “eco-printing” (where Flint laid eucalyptus leaves directly onto cloth to be bundled and steamed into fabric) completely changed the trajectory of my work. It opened up a more intuitive and place-based way of creating textiles.
From there, I began experimenting with the plants growing around me: roses, plum leaves, cosmos, coreopsis, hibiscus, and many others. That period of experimentation shaped my early approach to making and taught me to see the landscape itself as both collaborator and source material.
Is there a piece of music you return to while you work, that sets the rhythm of your making?
Soothing Wind Chimes for Meditation, from the album Dreaming Sound. It takes me to a happy place…
Peeling back the leaves and petals to reveal naturally imbued plant colour.
What material or technique are you currently experimenting with or curious to explore further?
Right now, I’m especially interested in reviving vintage linens through botanical printing and natural dye. I love working with textiles that already carry a sense of history and finding ways to transform them into something contemporary again. There’s something really exciting to me about taking an old tablecloth, curtain, or linen panel and giving it an entirely new life through plant colour and print.
I’ve also been thinking a lot about garment forms that feel relaxed, timeless, and easy to live in — robes, kaftans, and poncho-style tops in particular. I’m interested in exploring how these minimal silhouettes can showcase botanical prints in a way that feels both artistic and functional, almost like wearable textiles or moving tapestries.
If you could collaborate with any maker—past or present—who would it be, and why?
I would choose Frida Kahlo. Beyond her artwork, I’ve always been deeply inspired by the way she transformed personal hardship into work that feels vivid, meaningful, and full of spirit. We both share experiences of navigating challenging health issues, and I admire how she continued to create with such honesty, symbolism, and connection to place throughout her life.
Of course, I’d want the collaboration to happen at Casa Azul — surrounded by the gardens, colours, and animals she loved so much. I imagine spending days creating textiles that capture the essence of the region through plant pigments and botanical impressions, while drawing inspiration from the richness of Mexican craft, nature, and daily life.
Printed, dyed, rinsed and hug out to dry in a sunny garden - Alison Kelly at work on a unique example of botanically coloured of fabric.
What does a perfect day of making look like for you?
A perfect day of making for me is a sunny summer day on Cape Cod, working mostly outdoors. It begins with a slow nature walk for foraging—gathering plants, noticing what’s in bloom, and collecting materials like leaves and flowers to print with later in the day.
From there, the work unfolds outside: preparing textiles, laying out botanicals, and letting pieces rest or steam in the open air. I love the rhythm of hanging finished or in-progress work on a clothesline, watching how light and wind interact with the fabric.
In the afternoon, I shift into sewing and finishing details, often surrounded by fresh flowers gathered earlier in the day. It’s a simple, quiet flow between walking, gathering, printing, and stitching—it feels like home.
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Basic Bundle Dyeing with Alison Kelly, Flora Obscura
With thanks to Alison Kelly, for sharing the above extract from her book, Printing from the Garden.
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Further Information:
Printing from the Garden by Alison Kelly is published by Storey Publishing and available now.
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Image Credits:
Lead: Cover image featured on Printing from the Garden, Alison Kelly. Photo: Kristin Tieg
All further images as credited in captions.